My Cat is a bully ... help!

Caroline_ie

Hi,

My next door neighbour complained that my cat has been chasing her puppy in her garden ... and has told my landlord (the other neighbour) to let me know. I told my landlord that I'd talk to the cat.

What am I supposed to do? I don't think the cat will listen :pac:

Thanks

sambuka41

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Hi,

My next door neighbour complained that my cat has been chasing her puppy in her garden ... and has told my landlord (the other neighbour) to let me know. I told my landlord that I'd talk to the cat.

What am I supposed to do? I don't think the cat will listen :pac:

Thanks

Keep your cat indoors, then he'll only bully you

P.S. I say that as the bullied owner of a male cat myself!!! It really is the only option to control your cat

Caroline_ie

I live in a studio and she gets out via the velux. Leaving her indoors is cruel. I am planning on moving in october but for now I really don't see the problem with the dog owner scaring the cat with water or something.

sambuka41

you'd rather your cat be frightened away than kept safe? What if the dog turns on her? Or your neighbour turns on her? You've been given a warning that they aren't happy with the situation, to subject your cat to being frightened and possible hurt is CRUEL :mad:

Caroline_ie

You're right actually...

lolo62

i think keeping an outdoor cat indoors is more cruel than letting it out in this situation

cats are great at looking after themselves sure theyve colonised the planet!
you and the cat will be demented in a bedsit if she doesnt get to go out and hunt, poop+ pee, burn off excess energy etc

go down to the neighbour with a water pistol and tell her to squirt the cat if she comes near...the cat wont like it but she wont be traumatised

once she gets that reception a couple of times she'll find a new route around the neighbourhood

the puppy is obviously a new addition and on your cats turf so she needs to learn the boundaries have changed

approaching your neighbour with this suggestion is taking responsibility and trying to find a solution, you cant be more reasonable than that

TooManyDogs

lolo62 wrote: »

the puppy is obviously a new addition and on your cats turf so she needs to learn the boundaries have changed

approaching your neighbour with this suggestion is taking responsibility and trying to find a solution, you cant be more reasonable than that

I'm sorry but the pup is on IT'S own territory, the fact that the cat has an irresponsible owner does not make someone elses garden the cat's territory.

The cat scaring the pup like that can leave long term psychological scars for the pup and it simply isn't fair for the pup not to feel able to feel safe and secure in it's own garden.

If I saw a pup of mine being chased around the garden by a neighbours cat after informing the neighbour of the situation, let me tell you it wouldn't wouldnt be a water pistol I'd be using to ensure the cat didn't come back.

The responsible thing is to keep YOUR pet in YOUR property. Secure your own garden

sambuka41

TooManyDogs wrote: »

If I saw a pup of mine being chased around the garden by a neighbours cat after informing the neighbour of the situation, let me tell you it wouldn't wouldnt be a water pistol I'd be using to ensure the cat didn't come back.

Theres no need for that. :mad: Keeping that cat indoors is best for everyone (animal and human) involved.

Why is it so hard to have a balanced discussion on this forum, straight away the cat and cat owner is the devil, the poor pup and its mental scars but no concern for the cat, that the suggestion so far of spraying it with water or worse, and what mental scars that would do to the cat. Im getting seriously bored of the cat hatred around here :(


OP there are so many dangers out there for your cat, if it is not this situation it could be getting knocked down, fighting with other cats, stupid humans and their hatred of cats thats your biggest worry, especially with your neighbours. Keep your cat indoors and get toys for him to use up his energy. I say that not to demonise cats but so that you have a better chance of having a pet/family member to live a long life

TooManyDogs

And likewise I'm thoroughly bored of the attitude on this forum that "its only a cat", "its only a little cat poo so get over yourself ", "it's in a cats nature to roam", "its cruel to keep a cat indoors" and the many other 'reasons' people have to justify their irresponsibly.

The attitude that its ok for a pup to be terrorised in its own garden and just spray the cat with water so as not to scare the cat overly makes me mad. There's no telling how many times it would take to ensure the cat stopped coming back, maybe only once but more likely it would take far more than once and all the while the pup is becoming more and more fearful and all responsibility being put on the pups owners shoulders.

Ayla

OP - I've got to say I side with those who suggest keeping your cat inside. It's a big pet peeve (pardon the pun) of mine when neighborhood cats are allowed to roam as and where they will with no regard to anyone else's property. It would never be allowed with any other pet, but cats seem to have this carte blanche sense of entitlement regardless of what they do to anyone else.

Your cat is irritating another animal on the other animal's property - possibly deliberately. It's not fair on the dog, or on the dog's owners who have to try to contain their dog when your cat decides it wants to walk around their garden.

It would never be allowed with any other type of pet.

sambuka41

But the point is it's not ok to scare either animal. why can't the situation be looked at without threatening either animal. There were responses on thread (from myself) that didn't say it was ok for the pup to be terrorised.

My cat is an absolute bully, I've had to keep him indoors for his and other cats safety. But there is no denying that he is not nearly as happy indoors as he was outdoors. It's the lesser of two evils, and a sacrafice he and I have to make to ensure that he is safe from other cats and humans.

Ayla

sambuka41 wrote: »

But the point is it's not ok to scare either animal. why can't the situation be looked at without threatening either animal...

Woah, easy there.

Where did I say anything about scaring anyone? I just supported keeping the cat inside. If the OP can't regulate where the cat goes, there's no option but to keep the cat inside. Simple as. No need to have any sort of discussion about scaring anyone.

Dyr

Keeping cat's is cruel indoors and outdoors. cat's prefer to be out and about but the world is too dangerous for a cat now apparently.

In my book it's cruel to keep them indoors, i grew up with cats that spent their lives indoor and they were all half demented looking back on it.

I wouldn't be getting up on my high horse and judging people just because I kept a cat indoors that's for sure.

sambuka41

Ayla wrote: »

Woah, easy there.

Where did I say anything about scaring anyone? I just supported keeping the cat inside. If the OP can't regulate where the cat goes, there's no option but to keep the cat inside. Simple as. No need to have any sort of discussion about scaring anyone.

Sorry that was part of the earlier discussion, not directed at you. There talk that its not ok for the dog to be scared by the cat but that it is ok for the cat to be scared by the human.

I get frustrated with the way cats are spoken about here, I happen to agree with most about keeping them in but I not because I am anti cats (which is a feeling I get on those board at times).

Ayla

Bambi wrote: »

Keeping cat's is cruel indoors and outdoors. cat's prefer to be out and about but the world is too dangerous for a cat now apparently.

In my book it's cruel to keep them indoors, i grew up with cats that spent their lives indoor and they were all half demented looking back on it.

I wouldn't be getting up on my high horse and judging people just because I kept a cat indoors that's for sure.

Obviously it is a cat's basic instinct to roam & be outside. They don't care or understand fences or boundaries & they go wherever they want. As a pet owner, however, we all have responsibility for our pet, and we have to ensure that our pet does not encroach or harm any other person's property. Since we can't usually train cats on boundaries (like we can dogs) then they have to stay inside.

Unnatural? Probably. But it's the only responsible thing to do if you care about your neighbours (or pet!) at all. If you're not willing to be responsible for your pet (whatever type of pet that is) then you shouldn't have one.

TooManyDogs

Bambi wrote: »

cat's prefer to be out and about

I hate to break it to you but pretty much every pet would prefer to be out and about and roaming but cats are the only animal to do so. 90% of pet animals when given the chance of an open door or broken fence will go wandering be they dog, sheep, horses, rabbits, birds whatever. The only difference is that owners of other pet species ensure that their pet is responsibly kept on their property and not left wander.

lolo62

i dont think an outdoor cat should be kept indoors....its competely different if a cat has always been indoors and this cat has always been out and about, and if the OP is in a bedsit then she presumably cant fence in the whole garden etc

cats are cats, whether people like them or not is irrelevant. i keep a cat for the very same reasons people dislike them. im not ahuge dog fan but i dont go around complaining (and threatening!) to my neighbours because theirs are barking at all hours because thats what dogs do!

cats have territories...thats natural for a cat...the cat didnt bother the neighbour until puppy came along, now puppy is in the garden the cat just needs to learn that she cant go into that garden, simple

i also dont think theres anything wrong with spraying a cat with a bit of water to establish a boundary, and i live with a cat and love them
and if i was a cat i would definitely prefer to take my chances with a water pistol than completely loose my freedom!

Heroditas

lolo62 wrote: »

i dont think an outdoor cat should be kept indoors....its competely different if a cat has always been indoors and this cat has always been out and about, and if the OP is in a bedsit then she presumably cant fence in the whole garden etc

We took in a wild cat nearly two years ago. It took us months to be allowed even touch her.

Now she won't set foot outside the house and is extremely content being an indoor cat with our other two indoor cats.

fatmammycat

Heroditas wrote: »

We took in a wild cat nearly two years ago. It took us months to be allowed even touch her.

Now she won't set foot outside the house and is extremely content being an indoor cat with our other two indoor cats.

Aye, I moved from a house to an apartment years ago and the cats didn't give a damn that they couldn't go outside. Then moved to a house a few years back and you'd swear outside was a hardship for them ( except on sunny days when they sprawl on the lawn).

sambuka41

fatmammycat wrote: »

Aye, I moved from a house to an apartment years ago and the cats didn't give a damn that they couldn't go outside. Then moved to a house a few years back and you'd swear outside was a hardship for them ( except on sunny days when they sprawl on the lawn).

I wish my guy was like that, he was an outdoor cat for 4 years so now every chance he gets he tries to escape!! I moved to an apartment where I could fence in a small yard area for him, but he's getting out the chicken wire, so I'm still trying to fully cat proof it. He is the James Bond of cats:D

kylith

I can never understand cat owners saying 'spray it with water'. I would be livid if I found out that someone had sprayed my dogs with a hose(although they're safely contained in my garden so it's not an issue), and I can't comprehend how someone would actually suggest doing it to their own pet.

If your neighbours are coming to you about your cat then it is causing a problem for them, whether or not you think their complaints about roaming, poo, killing birds etc. are trivial is irrelevant; your pet is annoying your neighbours and it is your responsibility to make sure that stops, whether by cat-proofing your garden so your cat can't leave it, or by keeping them indoors.

lolo62

Heroditas wrote: »

We took in a wild cat nearly two years ago. It took us months to be allowed even touch her.

Now she won't set foot outside the house and is extremely content being an indoor cat with our other two indoor cats.

thats great...fair play for taking in a wild cat a taking the time to nurture her...sounds like shes made her choice!

my cat would scratch a hole right through my back door if i tried to keep her in!

fatmammycat

Some cats are cracking escape artists alright. Mine are too old to lazy to bother these days.

lolo62

kylith wrote: »

I would be livid if I found out that someone had sprayed my dogs with a hose and I can't comprehend how someone would actually suggest doing it to their own pet.
QUOTE]

A hose and a water pistol are two different things and no one suggested spraying an animal with a hose...this conversation is about water pistols!

I have squirted a small childs toy water pistol at the local bully cat to keep him out of my garden as he was terrorising my cat, now he stays away

A cat is an animal, it doesnt go off and think ''oh they are so mean for spraying me, my feelings are hurt'' its more like ''s**t that sucks..ill move on''

btw i just called my vet who is a cat nut for back up on this...absolutely no cruelty there from the cats end...it just something theyd rather avoid

sambuka41

lolo62 wrote: »

btw i just called my vet who is a cat nut...absolutely no cruelty there from the cats end...it just something theyd rather avoid

I think its cruel, I really don't like the idea of my cat ever been scared or upset by people,and I could never do it to another animal. It's better that they are indoors where they are safe, safe from a lot of things but mainly safe from people who wouldn't think twice about really hurting your cat.

lolo62

sambuka41 wrote: »

I think its cruel, I really don't like the idea of my cat ever been scared or upset by people,and I could never do it to another animal. It's better that they are indoors where they are safe, safe from a lot of things but mainly safe from people who wouldn't think twice about really hurting your cat.

a squirt of water wont scare or upset your cat...just startle him/her.
i dont like car horns, they startle me but theyre useful on the road when a warning is needed

i have seen people chase cats away with teeth showing and arms waving...this is far worse in my opinion

i am a certified cat slave and i worry all the time about cat haters out there but in this situation the OP's neighbour sounds like a reaonable person and not a sociopath
she has come to the OP I presume to try to come to a solution for the problem of the cat coming into the garden...this is a simple and cruelty free solution

MajorMax

When we first got our cat. She was a young stray that adopted my ex-Girlfriend/Current Wife at work, she seemed to settle in really well.

We had a few run ins but I quickly showed her that I could hit a lot harder than she could (to the cat not the ex-Girlfriend/Current Wife) and now she loves & adores me (the cat not the ex-Girlfriend/Current Wife) and hasn't raised a paw to me since.

However she bullies the ex-Girlfriend/Current Wife unmercifully, sniping and ambushing her sometimes drawing blood. So we started letting her out in the evenings and she has attacked every other cat she has come across (the cat not the ex-Girlfriend/Current Wife).

She even went for cats half again as big as her. She had a running battle last week that had half the windows on our street being opened by the neighbours to see what the hell was going on.

I figure she's just being territorial and once she has made her bones she'll settle down

Dyr

Ayla wrote: »

Obviously it is a cat's basic instinct to roam & be outside. They don't care or understand fences or boundaries & they go wherever they want. As a pet owner, however, we all have responsibility for our pet, and we have to ensure that our pet does not encroach or harm any other person's property. Since we can't usually train cats on boundaries (like we can dogs) then they have to stay inside.

Unnatural? Probably. But it's the only responsible thing to do if you care about your neighbours (or pet!) at all. If you're not willing to be responsible for your pet (whatever type of pet that is) then you shouldn't have one.

I would contend that equally if your cat is going to spend its life cooped up then you shouldn't have one.

UnknownSpecies

By that logic, what's the point in keeping any pet? They're all going to be cooped up.

I have two dogs that are kept inside (as all dogs should be). They are allowed into the back garden except there's one problem: a little prick of a cat torments them. The horrid creature will see that the dogs are in the garden, will hop into our garden and sit down and wait for the dogs to notice it. Then, when the dogs do notice it and go crazy barking and running at it, it will hop onto the wall and look down at the dogs as they jump up and down barking at it. I've never come across a more irritating creature in my life. Of course, when I go out to shoo the cat away, it sees me and is gone before I take two steps into the garden.

Keep cats indoors, they have no more right than a dog or a cow does to be allowed to roam as they please.

lolo62

i have a great book recommendation for the cat haters on this forum, its called 'The Fear of Freedom' by Eric Fromm

Benny_Cake

OP, I don't think you have any choice here, the cat is presenting a problem to your neighbour so you'll have to keep it in, until you move at least.

We have 2 cats - the older guy we let outside as he never stays away too long and always comes back to his food and his litter tray - a good few of our neighbours have cats they let out as well. Our younger cat is about a year old and she is currently being kept indoors. We rescued her as a 6 week old stray, and after she was spayed we let her out on a number of occasions, and each time she took up residence under a neighbours shed (where she was unreachable) and didn't come back for days. We had to give up letting her out in the end as they have a dog and it's not fair on the dog! So a lot depends on the cats really, but if either cat was causing a neighbour problems, I'd keep them in.

TooManyDogs

dorgasm wrote: »

Of course, when I go out to shoo the cat away, it sees me and is gone before I take two steps into the garden.

^ This. This is my problem too, very easy for cat owners to say "sure just spray him with a water pistol" but when the cat that torments my rabbits even sees a shadow moving behind the window he's gone, so there simply is no way to get remotely near it with a water pistol spray. I've seen it at my rabbits countless times and have never managed to catch it unawares enough to throw water at it, so it keeps coming back.

At this stage I let my dogs out after it, only thing I can think of to scare the cat effectively enough to make it leave my rabbit alone. Now bearing in mind that my garden is fully secure to keep my pets on my premesis, so I have no remorse about scaring the willies out of someone elses pet who clearly doesn't care enough about it to keep it contained or build a run for it. I'm not wishing for the cat to get injured but I'm out of options, I don't have money to spend on devices that would ultimately harm my own pets, and to be perfectly honest I'm not prepared to spend the little money I have to spare to rectify someone elses irresponsibility

lubie76

dorgasm wrote: »

a little prick of a cat torments them. The horrid creature will see that the dogs are in the garden, will hop into our garden and sit down and wait for the dogs to notice it.

Bit pathetic name calling the cat when it's only doing what comes natural to it. Just like your dogs are following their natural instinct i.e barking and jumping at it. Maybe you should take up your problem with the owner instead for allowing him to roam in the first place.

UnknownSpecies

lubie76 wrote: »

Bit pathetic name calling the cat when it's only doing what comes natural to it. Just like your dogs are following their natural instinct i.e barking and jumping at it. Maybe you should take up your problem with the owner instead for allowing him to roam in the first place.

Not really pathetic at all actually. The same neighbours have 4 cats and it's only one that does this so I don't see how you say it comes naturally. It doesn't.

I know the owners very well but they just won't keep the cat indoors. It's the same shite being spouted in this thread "Cats are meant to roam", "It's cruel to keep them indoors" :rolleyes:

The difference between my dogs and that cat doing what comes naturally is that the dogs are doing is on MY property and only when provoked. The cat leaves its owner's property and that is where the problem is.

sambuka41

dorgasm wrote: »

I know the owners very well but they just won't keep the cat indoors. It's the same shite being spouted in this thread "Cats are meant to roam", "It's cruel to keep them indoors" :rolleyes:

Actually most people in this thread are saying to keep the cat indoors, only one or two are saying let it roam. Only the difference is that we aren't aggressively calling the cats names. :mad:

There's no cat hatred on this forum :rolleyes:

UnknownSpecies

I don't hate cats at all. However, I despise that particular cat a LOT, so I'll call it what I like.

Ayla

Bambi wrote: »

I would contend that equally if your cat is going to spend its life cooped up then you shouldn't have one.

Whew, dramatic much? :rolleyes:

Keeping a cat inside does not automatically mean they're cooped up in a tiny cardboard box without any stimulation. Assuming there is something for the cat to "do" and getting attention from other living creatures, there is no reason to assume an indoor cat is having a half-life.

Try to keep this in perspective - cats are quite small animals, so even a small apartment (properly kitted out) can hold enough stimulation for them.

Cherry Blossom

MajorMax wrote: »

We had a few run ins but I quickly showed her that I could hit a lot harder than she could (to the cat not the ex-Girlfriend/Current Wife) and now she loves & adores me (the cat not the ex-Girlfriend/Current Wife) and hasn't raised a paw to me since.

Advocating cruelty to animals is not permitted in this forum, please read the forum charter.

MajorMax

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Advocating cruelty to animals is not permitted in this forum, please read the forum charter.

I'm sorry kneejerk mod, did you read my post? I do not and never have advocated cruelty to animals.

Negative reinforcement is a legitimate training tool for animals. You reward good behaviour and punish bad behaviour. Am I wrong? If so, prove it!

I've come across this sort of anthropomorphism before. I have punished my cat for unacceptable behaviour
while my ex-Girlfriend/Current Wife mollycoddles the Cat, guess who the cat obeys. She is my warrior princess

I now expect that you will abuse your powers as a Moderator and ban me.
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

<BANNED>

SimonLynch

Mad thread, keeping cats indoors?

sambuka41

MajorMax wrote: »

Negative reinforcement is a legitimate training tool for animals. You reward good behaviour and punish bad behaviour.

Negative reinforcement and punishment are not the same thing

iguana

On average allowing cats to roam shortens their lifespan by 75-80%. There is no debate, allowing them to roam is cruel as it puts them in so much danger that their lifespans are reduced so significantly.

lolo62

iguana wrote: »

On average allowing cats to roam shortens their lifespan by 75-80%. There is no debate, allowing them to roam is cruel as it puts them in so much danger that their lifespans are reduced so significantly.

true but theres a difference between letting them out and letting them roam.
cats respond really well to routine...
i only let my cat out the back door and at certain times.

cars drive ridiculously fast up and down our road despite there being ramps so i never let her out the front and she never makes her way around there (the houses are terraced which is an advantage)
i also feed her three meals so she gets hungry more often and stays close by, she rarely leaves the garden or lane but if i cant see her one shake of the treat box has her back in ten seconds

the only time shes out for long periods is when she wont let me sleep, in which case she has a hut with comfy blankets and cushions...she just snoozes there until she can get back in the house and take over my bed

the neighbours two doors down have a little cat who is pregnant for the second time and they just let her run wild, they have no idea where her first litter of kittens are...i regularly see her out the front in danger of being hit, forraging in the lane and causing trouble

so my point is not all cats that are outdoors are 'roaming' hence owned by irresponsible owners, and letting your cat outdoors is not cruel if some thought and planning goes into it

wolfpawnat

My puppy is tormented by my cat, both are in the same enclosed space, in all fairness, my pup torments him too.

As for the not letting cats roam, easier said than done. I am in a ground floor apartment, taking the dog out for the bathroom/opening any window for half a second and the cat will go for it, they are a curious creature by nature. And yes you can be as careful as possible, but it doesn't always work, and some cats refuse to stay indoors, responsible owners neuter so that they don't contribute to the kitten epidemic, but apart from that there is little can be done.

They are not like dogs, they are not very trainable. They are very independently minded and do not give a hoot about what humans want them to do. And though that pup is in its own garden, cats don't tend to care about boundaries set by humans and other animals, if it deems something on its turf, you will not convince them otherwise.